The Job Hopping Stigma

Posted: 08/06/2016 by
Cox Purtell

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string(3177) "Discovering the ‘perfect’ candidate is never an easy task, and rarely is it ever accomplished without challenges along the way.
Hours and hours are spent trawling through resumes, from analysing job roles to investigating employment gaps, all in a bid to find the ideal candidate for the job. So often we come across those little gems, and so often we cast them aside as a result of one particular loophole… ‘job-hopping’.
I don’t know exactly how and when this became a fundamental deal breaker in the selection process, however it’s no secret that a ‘job-hopper’ is typically met with a resounding “No, thank you” in the recruitment world.
And whilst I may be going against a general consensus where my colleagues and clients are concerned here, I can’t help but ask the question… Why?
There are a number of reasons why candidates may not last in a particular role, and granted there can be a string of excuses in an attempt to cloud major issues from poor performance to boredom, to lack of commitment. All of these excuses, I have to agree, can contribute to the makings of an unemployable candidate in the long run. On the other hand, an employable candidate is able to present reasonable explanations which are often circumstantial and justifiable – and believe it or not, sometimes it can just be a case of ‘not the right cultural fit’.
When the GFC hit just short of a decade ago, the impact of this resulted in devastating consequences for a number of industries across the globe. Restructuring and redundancies were imminent and people were pressed to take whatever they could by way of employment to survive. Extreme as this may sound, it is incredibly likely that the crisis did in fact, force individuals of all ages and statuses in a direction that may not necessarily have been through professional choice.
Of course, this is one specific situation and one particular outcome. However, it’s one of many that can be overlooked when analysing a candidate’s employment history (and trying to find that ‘loophole’).
I’m an avid believer in not judging a book by its cover and giving people the benefit of the doubt, although I will not take everything a candidate says at face value (now that’s the recruiter in me). However, I do believe that in the face of doubt we have the ability to seek further clarification - whether it’s additional referencing, market knowledge or even network connections. We need to utilise these tools in order to make an executive decision.
As long as we know the facts and can support what we find, we can differentiate the typical ‘job-hoppers’ from the employable candidates who just need that break."
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Discovering the ‘perfect’ candidate is never an easy task, and rarely is it ever accomplished without challenges along the way.

Hours and hours are spent trawling through resumes, from analysing job roles to investigating employment gaps, all in a bid to find the ideal candidate for the job. So often we come across those little gems, and so often we cast them aside as a result of one particular loophole… ‘job-hopping’.

I don’t know exactly how and when this became a fundamental deal breaker in the selection process, however it’s no secret that a ‘job-hopper’ is typically met with a resounding “No, thank you” in the recruitment world.

And whilst I may be going against a general consensus where my colleagues and clients are concerned here, I can’t help but ask the question… Why?

There are a number of reasons why candidates may not last in a particular role, and granted there can be a string of excuses in an attempt to cloud major issues from poor performance to boredom, to lack of commitment. All of these excuses, I have to agree, can contribute to the makings of an unemployable candidate in the long run. On the other hand, an employable candidate is able to present reasonable explanations which are often circumstantial and justifiable – and believe it or not, sometimes it can just be a case of ‘not the right cultural fit’.

When the GFC hit just short of a decade ago, the impact of this resulted in devastating consequences for a number of industries across the globe. Restructuring and redundancies were imminent and people were pressed to take whatever they could by way of employment to survive. Extreme as this may sound, it is incredibly likely that the crisis did in fact, force individuals of all ages and statuses in a direction that may not necessarily have been through professional choice.

Of course, this is one specific situation and one particular outcome. However, it’s one of many that can be overlooked when analysing a candidate’s employment history (and trying to find that ‘loophole’).

I’m an avid believer in not judging a book by its cover and giving people the benefit of the doubt, although I will not take everything a candidate says at face value (now that’s the recruiter in me). However, I do believe that in the face of doubt we have the ability to seek further clarification – whether it’s additional referencing, market knowledge or even network connections. We need to utilise these tools in order to make an executive decision.

As long as we know the facts and can support what we find, we can differentiate the typical ‘job-hoppers’ from the employable candidates who just need that break.